


Fireworks

by BigDaddyBane



Series: Tim and Barsad Verse [1]
Category: Batman (Movies - Nolan), Justified
Genre: Alternate Universe - Military, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Army, Army Ranger, Boys In Love, Civilian Contractor, Domestic, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fireworks, Fourth of July, Homosexuality, Homosexuality Written by a Homosexual, Hurt/Comfort, Life Partners, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Military, No Sex, No Smut, Partnership, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rare Pairings, Sniper - Freeform, Snipers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-04
Updated: 2019-07-04
Packaged: 2020-06-03 18:27:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19469638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BigDaddyBane/pseuds/BigDaddyBane
Summary: This is a story of two veterans seeking comfort from each other on the 3rd of July because apparently, teenagers can't help but blow up fireworks on the 3rd of July when they have the whole 4th of July to do that.





	Fireworks

**Author's Note:**

> Fair Warning, Barsad is pretty out of character for this. He's well within character for the AU I wrote with a roleplay Buddy of mine (Who if I find their Ao3 after Publishing I'll add, but she's asleep right now.) Barsad in this is a military man still, and still very loyal and it would make more sense if I made the Barsad/Tim thing a whole series and you'd see more of regular OG Barsad, but for right this second I don't care about that and am just writing domestic fluffy hurt comfort to cope with jerk neighbourhood kids blowing stuff up.

While many Americans treasure and hold the 4 th of July’s fireworks near and dear to their heart, many of our veterans, dogs, and disabled do not. Deputy US Marshall Tim Gutterson, retired Army Ranger Sniper, belonged to two of those categories. While the first would be obvious, the second would not. PTSD is a disability that affects both veterans and civilians in our communities, with or without the experience of being in a combat zone. So here we find a scene of Tim and his partner Barsad on the 3 rd of July. 

In a normally quiet and sleepy neighbourhood on the outskirts of Lexington Kentucky, a group of families gathered out on the streets to celebrate the 4 th just a little bit early. Screamers, poppers, flash-bangs, fire-crackers, bang snaps, and bottle rockets all lined up on plastic tables before being chosen and lit up. There was a couple, a pair of men, both ex-military in a house 3 doors down from where the light show would soon begin, dozing sleepily side by side on the couch. The Jamacia vs. USA match for the CONCACAF Gold Cup Semi-final on the TV the only source of light in the dark house. There were three beer bottles on the side table, all of them empty, and a half full one being shared between the two between tender and lazy kisses. It was a laid back and lazy night for the two men, they tried to take it easy knowing how stressful the next night would be. 

It was while they relaxed and lazed about that the first scream followed by a loud snap rang out from down the street, causing both men to startle. The wiry brunette, Barsad, reached for his side piece even though the logical part of him had locked it up in the safe earlier that evening when he had gotten home for the day. Tim, on the other hand, was outwardly very cool and collected about the whole ordeal, though his quickened breath and his eyes’ constant scanning of the room gave away his true level of anxiety. Barsad was the first to settle, realizing it was just fireworks. He brought Tim into his arms, pulling him close to his chest. He was quicker to startle and reach for a weapon, but faster to calm down, despite his more extreme outward reaction, meanwhile Tim tended to be more internal with his reaction and would struggle for most of the night. 

Barsad and Tim had been together for nearly 2 years now, having met at a support group. Barsad had served as a civilian contractor, and therefore wasn’t eligible for VA services, and, in turn, had better health care options without all of the bullshit in the broken VA Medical system, he had learned better coping mechanisms and gotten more therapy for his PTSD. Tim had a combination of Men don’t talk about their feelings, and crappy VA therapists, that resulted in a limited ability to actually cope rather than simply mask his symptoms. 

Barsad held Tim tight, speaking gently to him, more as if he was a spooked colt than if he were a full grown man, though, in moments like this, Tim was just a scared 19-year-old kid still caught up in Afghanistan blowing the heads off of the Taliban. 

“Easy, Tim, Darlin’, it’s just noise. Just noise, that’s all.” Barsad murmured to him, stroking through his hair gently with one hand while the other wrapped around his hips and held him close.

“I know… I know…” Tim whispered, not trusting his voice not to waver and crack with any more volume. He kept trying to just shove down the anxiety bubbling within him, trying to focus on his partner instead, but it wasn’t working. His mind was in overdrive seeking out targets, threats, defendable positions, nest areas, and more in response to the crackling and bangs outside.

Barsad held him close, “Would it help if we went outside to watch? It used to help me a lot when I could actually see the fireworks to rationalize that it was all okay.” he suggested, lips moving against Tim’s temple as he murmured. 

Tim shook his head, “No… Just… Just wanna go to bed.” 

Barsad nodded and helped him stand, stroking his cheek gently and watching him. “Love you.”

“Love you too, you old sap bucket.” Tim smiled a little bit, feeling just a hint better. 

Barsad took him to bed, and the two of them stripped down to their boxers and brushed their teeth side by side before curling up together under the covers, Tim’s head over Barsad’s heart, their arms and legs laced together. They didn’t get any sleep that night, what all with the fireworks going off until early into the wee hours of the morning, but they were able to find some peace in each other's arms.


End file.
